Have one like this?
Upload a photo for a free check of what yours may be worth.
Lot description
(Miesenbach 1807–1862 Vienna) At the Farrier’s, signed F. Gauermann, oil on panel, 60.5 x 73.5 cm, cradled, framed Provenance: Sale, Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, 5 June 2003, lot 1129; Private Collection, Austria. Compare: Rupert Feuchtmüller, Friedrich Gauermann, Vienna 1987, p. 284, no. 143. From the 1820s onwards, Friedrich Gauermann, born in Miesenbach, remained dedicated to portraying rural idylls in his paintings, where the landscape typically took precedence as the dominant visual element. Until the early 1840s, he continued to captivate audiences with strikingly dramatic themes and innovative compositional approaches. However, from the late 1840s onwards, the emergence of new subject matter gradually declined, and Gauermann focused primarily on Alpine genre scenes, depictions of wildlife, animal combat, and hunting scenes—motifs that had become characteristic of his work. While these themes remained particularly popular among aristocratic patrons both in Austria and internationally, middle-class collectors appeared to show a preference for peasant genre scenes featuring Alpine settings. The present lot “Beim Hufschmied” offers a naturalistic portrayal of a rural idyll. Gauermann renders the entire scene with remarkable precision and striking clarity. At the centre of the composition stands a horse-drawn cart laden with hay and household goods, with two horses harnessed in front. A farrier kneels to attend to the white steed’s hooves, while a young girl in a red headscarf watches intently, accompanied by a resting dog at her side. The second horse affectionately places its head on the back of the white steed. In the background, towering clouds loom over a mountainous landscape, enhancing the depth and atmosphere of the scene. Here, Gauermann seamlessly merges idealised genre painting with the grandeur of nature, demonstrating his mastery particularly in the rendering of the turbulent sky.